Raise Awareness, Speak Out Against Gaza Blockade, Write to your Representatives and Local Media

Action Alert #530:

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 01/26/08) -

CAIR is urging Americans to contact their elected representatives and write letters to their local newspapers to advocate for an end to the illegal Gaza blockade and the restoration of essential services that have since been halted.

A sample letter you can personalize and send to your representatives is available below.

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED:

1. WRITE to your elected officials (one U.S. Representative and 2 U.S. Senators) to demand an end to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

- Click here to download a sample letter from our website.

- Click here to find your representative.

- Sign and mail/fax the letter. Continue to call.

2. WRITE a letter to the editor.

- Go online to find letter requirements for your local newspaper or call the paper and ask for the Letters Editor.

Talking points:

* As a concerned American, I support an immediate end to the illegal Israeli blockade in Gaza.

* Our nation and its leaders cannot and should not remain silent as an illegal humanitarian disaster unfolds in Gaza. Collective punishment is always counterproductive and only serves to block moves toward a just resolution of any conflict.

* Because American taxpayers provide Israel with billions of dollars of economic support each year, we have the right to demand that those funds not be used to increase human suffering.

* Israel must abide by international law and universal standards of human rights. We call on President Bush to demand the immediate end of Israel’s blockade.

* Silence from American officials will only serve to increase the perception worldwide that our nation cares little for the suffering of the Palestinian people.

* The perception that the U.S. abets cruel and inhumane treatment of civilian populations provides fodder for anti-Americanism that may threaten the security of the United States.

3. INFORM YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY by forwarding this alert to at least five other people. Tell them you took action and ask them to do the same.

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.